Arkheron is a new take on battle royale that feels surprisingly fresh in 2025.
In 2025, the last thing I’d expect to be surprised by is the reveal of a new battle royale game. But Arkheron, the first game from Bonfire Studios, is working a magic all its own on a genre the zeitgeist has left behind. During a preview event for press, studio founder and former Blizzard chief creative officer Rob Pardo said it was inspired by three concepts: Diablo dungeons and progression, PUBG PvP, and Dark Souls combat.
I wouldn’t blame you for being skeptical, but the result looks more promising than it sounds.
Arkheron is set in a « dark, surreal world », where teams of amnesiac souls battle in a purgatorial afterlife to ascend an ever-shifting tower built from the memories of the dead. Teams enter the tower, gain abilities from memory-haunted weapons and equipment, and compete to climb higher before the current floor is destroyed until one team eventually stands triumphant at the tower’s apex.
At first glance, Arkheron’s isometric perspective and hellish environs loudly ring a Diablo-esque bell. But as soon as it starts moving, it’s clear that it’s doing its own thing: Rather than moving and positioning with mouse clicks, Arkheron uses what Bonfire calls « isometric free-aim combat »—an ARPG camera angle where the mouse or analog stick controls horizontal camera movement and intuitive combat targeting.
